The first steps of an equipment tax abatement for St. Anthony based Temple-Inland’s box factory has cleared it’s first hurdles.
Monday afternoon the Dubois County Council voted to allow Temple-Inland’s abatement for a $846,000 investment in new equipment that should make the plant more efficient and productive.
The equipment will create no new jobs but not eliminate any. Temple-Inland scored 47 points, seven more than necessary to qualify for the abatement that’s being applied for, which qualifies the company for a 100 percent tax abatement in years one and two, 75 percent abatement in year three, 50 percent in year four and 25 percent in year five.
There will be a public hearing on the abatement at 4:15 pm on Monday, January 25th in the Dubois County Courthouse Annex. If problems with the abatement arise at the public hearing, the council could table a decision on the abatement. If not, the council will most likely approve the abetment.
PROBATIONARY PAY POLICY
In other business Monday afternoon the Dubois County Council voted to keep the probationary pay policy, which entails a 10 percent salary decrease for the first 90 days on the job for new employees, in place for those recently hired whose probationary pay period will stretch into 2016.
Last month, the group voted to end the probationary pay policy beginning next year. Monday’s vote means that only employees who are hired after December 31st of this year will not be placed under probation.
Councilmen Jerry Hunefeld, Greg Kendall and Nick Hostetter voted to end the probationary period for all employees immediately. However remaining council members Charmian Klem, Craig Greulich, Becky Beckman and Martha Wehr voted to end the probationary period at the beginning of next year.
